[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] - Some of the 11 militiamen charged in armed standoff appeared in court Tuesday
- One has refused to give his real name, saying only that he is a 'free Moor'
- All refused to enter pleas or cooperate, saying they are not subject to US law
- 'Rise of the Moors' group is part of the sovereign citizen movement
- Members were arrested after fleeing from police into woods outside Boston
- They face several charges including unlawful possession of a firearm
The group's purported leader Jamhal Tavon Sanders Latimer, 29, also known as Jamhal Talib Abdullah Bey, told the judge: 'I don't understand how these charges can be brought against me.'
Latimer, a former U.S. Marine from Providence, Rhode Island, waived his right to an attorney, but the judge said she would have a lawyer speak to him about his rights before the next hearing in the case.
Pleas of 'not guilty' were entered on behalf of all the defendants, who were held without bail pending a hearing Friday to determine whether they are dangerous.
The first to appear, Quinn Cumberlander, 40, of Pawtucket, told the judge he was a 'foreign national' who cannot face criminal charges, and said he did not want a defense attorney.
Cumberlander invoked his Second Amendment right to bear arms, said the case should be heard in federal court, and said he meant no harm.
'We didn't want to cause fear. I object to being held without bail. I am not a threat to society or anybody,' he said in court.
Cumberlander described his group as a 'well-regulated militia' and said he was not opposed to the law, according to WCVB-TV.
Another defendant, Robert Rodriguez, 21, of the Bronx, New York, asked that a fellow defendant serve as his attorney. The judge noted the man is not a licensed lawyer and declined the request.
Rodriguez also refused to be interviewed by the Probation Department, which is part of the process for setting bail.
'I was seen by a probation officer,' Rodriguez said. 'But I did not commit a crime.'
One defendant, who has refused to identify himself to authorities, told the judge only that he was a 'free Moor.'
The judge ruled he had waived right to counsel, then ordered him out of the courtroom to watch proceedings on Zoom because he kept interrupting her.
Those arrested Saturday were identified as Latimer; Cumberlander; Rodriguez; Wilfredo Hernandez, also known as Will Musa; Alban El Curraugh; Aaron Lamont Johnson, also known as Tarrif Sharif Bey; Lamar Dow; Conrad Pierre; a 17-year-old juvenile; and two who have refused to identify themselves, state police said.
They are from Rhode Island, New York and Michigan.
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